The present invention relates to an arrangement for resilient absorption of forces, particularly for intermediate buffer couplings for rail vehicles. Arrangements of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. A known arrangement has a housing which is closed at its one end, and a resilient support or element accommodated in the housing. The resilient support cooperates in series with a friction device located in the region of an open end of the housing.
Spring arrangements provided in conventional draw and buffer arrangements must be constructed so as to perform the stroke in correspondence with especially high energy absorption which is required in connection with the increasing weight of the vehicles and careful treatment of the transported loads.
One of the known arrangements is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,288. The friction device of this arrangement comprises a substantially central wedge-formed member with surrounding friction shoes, and a housing is provided at its open end with projections which reduce the cross-section of the opening of the housing. Projections provided on the wedge-formed member cooperate with the above-mentioned projections of the housing so as to limit the outward displacement of the wedge-formed member. When percussive force acts upon the arrangement, the central wedge-formed member is displaced into the interior of the housing. This force is split into two components on inclined surfaces of the wedge-formed member and inclined surfaces of the friction shoes. One of the force components presses the friction shoes inwardly into the housing, whereas the other force component presses the friction shoes toward firm frictional engagement with the inclined friction surfaces in the region of the open end of the housing. The cylindrical resilient element counteracts the inward displacement of the friction shoes, with interposition of a plate. The resilient element has a stiffness which is codetermined for the energy absorption of the friction device. The resilient element in the known constructions is composed of interconnected disc springs of rubber or a similar elastomeric material which allows to support the friction device and to return it to its starting position only to a limited extent. At the same time it is known from experience that such springs have a service life which is smaller than that of the vehicle.